Wild photos and the tales they tell

The Other Side of Spring

Even if I don’t have anything good to say … I still manage to write a blog!

Spring in Saskatchewan means weather that has occasionally turned nice. Folks here are beside themselves excited to feel the occasional warmth of the sun, listen to the birds chirping and … well … you get the picture. With all these happy people swirling around, I’m feeling a bit like a fish doggedly swimming against the current – for no apparent reason.

Maybe it’s a reaction to the turbulent weather which taunts me with warmth one day and rips me with a freezing wind the next. Maybe it’s the ions in the air. Maybe it’s just me.

I get the invigorated part on those special days but, as long as I can remember, spring also brings with it a sort of restless melancholy. Whatever I’m doing seems of elusive value and I yearn to go to the mystical somewhere else.

My restlessness caused me to think about quitting this blog (just like every other spring) but it’s apparently harder to give up blogging than being positive. So here I am, with photos of brown backgrounds and a contrarian post, though I must confess to a dubious satisfaction in the latter.

Instead of chasing wildlife, I find myself watching hockey teams pursue Lord Stanley’s Cup. It seems odd to be enamoured with a game on ice when the snow is long gone. But then again it might snow tomorrow.

I’m sure this melancholy will pass with the season as it always does and I will catch the next wave. Unfortunately the weather forecast is calling for more spring.

How interesting – I would associate “restless melancholy” more with autumn than spring… But now that you mention it, I do see what you mean. Perhaps it’s that change – winter to summer, summer to winter – that leaves us a bit confused, searching for something, and perhaps inspiring even more change. How funny, then, that winter and summer are the steady seasons, whereas autumn and spring are mostly just times when one fades and the other takes over (with a bit of back-and-forth).

Fortunately, out of restlessness a lot of incredible things can be born; and perhaps melancholy makes us search deeper than we’d otherwise dare.

Thank you for sharing your inspiring thoughts, and for continuing to offer your beautiful photographs for the rest of us to enjoy!

Here in our part of Colorado spring arrived in February when it shouldn’t. Bluebirds arrived in March when they should, a few hummers showed up several days ago and we are expecting a foot of snow (or more) by tomorrow morning. Want winter gone but it just keeps hangin’ around. As they say about New Zealand weather, don’t let the blue fool you.

Yup I would vote for ions in the air — the turbulent weather of spring gives rise to turbulent emotions in us. I think part of it is just wishing the season would get on with it, as temperatures rise to a pleasant degree and then plummet back to disagreeable levels. I vote, stick with the blog, because you bring joy to MANY of us, with your excellent photography and witty, pithy writing. I get bored with my blog too, but then some days I see things that I just can’t wait to tell others about. I hope you’ll get some of those days soon.

That weather indecision does seem to wear on a person but the good thing is that it passes – I’ve seen this movie before and know how it ends. I appreciate your supportive words. I think witty, pithy writing is a wonderful description and a worthy goal!

“Restless melancholy”–I think that all of us who are prone to introspection and self-examination are familiar with that feeling, Lyle. For me it is not necessarily seasonal–it’s a feeling that comes and goes like the wind, as ephemeral as inspiration itself. Persistence is what helps me to push through until my normal optimism returns. I love the shots of the mule deer. When I lived in Arizona, I would see mule deer, which seemed small–the large jackrabbits and the mule deer seemed about the same size and had similarly-shaped ears.

I enjoy those ears too – they seem entirely out of proportion. Those jackrabbits must have been a sight to see!

I like your comparison of the feeling to inspiration. Whatever it is now, it will change and will cycle back again. I have always been amazed at the people who are not prone to introspection since their life experience is so different.

I’ve been posting less often as the change in season has me a bit glum too. But it won’t be long before you have the spring births to enjoy. Bear cubs, coyote pups, crane hatchlings.. Cheer up there, Lyle. 🙂

The weather here in Chicago has been finicky his year, too. We had a really nice beginning of March and then a cold and rainy April. It’s hard to stay inspired when Mother Nature keeps playing head games with you!
I love the photos in this post. I assume those are deer in the first and last photo, but I don’t recognize them. What type are they?

And we experience as bit of snow today! Down south people woke up to main roads covered in inches of wet snow (slush), but nobody to take care of the snow.
Thje maintainance crew had long ago stored their equipment! And people were travelling on summer tyres! Nice!

It might! Personally I have been using tyres designed to tackle anything for years and years now. Not quite optimal for just any situation, but then again they’re usable in most situations. It has never given me trouble I can’t handle.

Don’t give up on the blog. But do give us the names of the birds! Over here in the UK I don’t recognise your Canadian wildlife, so I need some help. Actually I just googled “canadian bird red black” and found the red-winged blackbird. Is that correct?

Yes the red-winged blackbird is correct. It’s sometimes easy to get immersed in one’s own world and forget about the rest. It is a very common bird found in just about every little body of water with cattails. Definitely a sign of spring. The blog continues …

Those redwing blackbirds mean spring is underway! Don’t worry Lyle, the bears will emerge up there, if they haven’t already, and you will be back in the saddle again as the elusive Lyle in the Wild in hot pursuit of more top-notch wildlife photos.

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